Chapter 5

• Claire's POV
• I turned my back to him, buttoning up my shirt.
• The faint purple bruises on my body became more severe from his rough kneading just now, causing some pain when rubbed by the clothes, but that didn’t matter.
• Turning around, I looked at Damian Thorn on the sofa.
• He was sitting very relaxed on the sofa. His shirt and suit were loosely open, revealing a few faint red scratch marks on his wheat-colored chest.
• His slender fingers held a cigar, but he didn’t smoke, his casual gaze falling on me.
• “Mr. Thorn…” my voice sounded hoarse.
• “Relax, sweetheart,” Damian Thorn’s mouth curved into a smile, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I will consider it.”
• Consider it?
• I instantly clenched my fists. “You promised to help me.”
• “Did I make a promise?” he raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his blue eyes. “I only said I wouldn’t make a losing deal. Do it with you once, and help you deal with the people from the Howard Group. Isn’t that a profitable transaction?”
• “Besides, your special service just now was far from as captivating as last night.”
• He sat up straight, his powerful aura pressing down on me. A sharp sarcasm twisted the corner of his mouth as he asked, “I don’t know the price of Weston’s prostitutes. Should I give you a thousand or two thousand?”
• Like a bucket of cold water poured over me, his words instantly extinguished all the heat in my body.
• Despair spread through me like poison. I could hardly feel my limbs. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound.
• The air in the quiet room became thin. After several seconds, I finally found my voice.
• “You bastard!”
• I glared at him sharply, my voice trembling with anger.
• I bit my lip hard, nails digging deep into my palm—the sharp pain forcing me to stay calm.
• Damian Thorn didn’t get angry. He seemed to enjoy the despair and rage in my eyes. Instead, he smiled.
• “What’s wrong? Do you think two thousand is too little? Maybe if you were better just now, I’d be willing to add five hundred—but...”
• He lazily leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, casually throwing a check in front of me. “Get lost. Don’t show up in front of me again, or I will send you to prison to see your father.”
• His mocking and scornful words felt like a slap in the face.
• A strong sense of humiliation surged up. Anger almost made me lose control. A strong urge to vomit burned in my stomach.
• Damian Thorn!
• This handsome and wealthy successful man in the eyes of outsiders turned out to be such a psychologically twisted, morally corrupt, and deficient person!How disgusting!
• My eyes were cold. I bent down to pick up the check on the ground, and in front of him, I viciously tore it into pieces.
• Then, raising my hand—in his surprised gaze—I scattered the pieces on his face and body.
• I stared into those blue eyes and said, word by word, “Use your dirty money to find a real prostitute. After all, only a prostitute won’t mind your lousy performance in bed, short dick man.”
• After saying that, without looking at his reaction or giving him any more eye contact, I turned and left.
• Both my mind and body were tense. The high heels on the floor made a crisp and piercing sound as I walked out of the hotel in quick steps.
• I didn’t have time to think much when the silent phone in my pocket started vibrating.
• Seeing more than a dozen missed calls and messages from Emily, I remembered that I was supposed to meet her.
• Thinking of the words I heard outside Leo’s house, my originally angry mood became even harder to control.
• One is a long-time lover, the other a trusted friend—yet they joined forces behind my back to stab me. This betrayal was even harder to accept than Damian Thorn’s deception and insult.
• Something inside me completely shattered.
• But I knew it wasn’t time to be sad yet. I needed to figure out what Leonard Howard made Leo do, why my dad was framed and arrested by them.
• And... what happened last night? Why did I completely lose my memory? Why did I end up at that hotel? Why did I sleep with Damian Thorn?
• Why did Leo have evidence of so-called infidelity?Was it true or lying to me?
• I had a feeling that this was also part of Leo and Emily’s plan.
• I tried to calm my breathing, to calm myself down, and then answered Emily’s call, my voice steady.
• “I’ve been waiting for you at home. Where are you?” Emily’s urgent voice came through the phone. “I’m really worried about you. Are you okay?”
• If I hadn’t accidentally overheard her conversation with Leo, accidentally found out her true intentions, I might have really thought she was concerned about me.
• But at this moment, I just chuckled coldly, my voice showing no signs of abnormality. “I’m fine. I was just a bit flustered earlier. The car accidentally hit a tree, so I’m running a bit late. Can we meet at Sunset Vista Dining later?”
• Emily naturally agreed.